How To NOT Be Straight✓

13: Clubbing...Right?

I sat on the desk, waiting for my club members to arrive as I licked my lollipop in silence. Alexis was besides me, and after trying to get me off the desk with no avail and a shove, settled down and just kept silent. Mr Dale said he'd be here in a minute, and so far, besides me and Alexis, no one was here.

Chloe entered as silent as a bird and sat down in the desk in front, admiring my artwork on the board. I turned to it.

"You like that Chloe? That's us holding hands!" I said and smiled, gesturing to the different colored hands on the board, forming a circle. "I thought it looked cool!"

"Not really, Jones." Rose said, entering the room and throwing her bag down. "Looks like a fifth grader did it." She sat besides Chloe.

"Wow, thanks Roseanne. Always so positive." I murmured, changing the subject. "Do you know where Emily is?"

"Being dragged by Ter-"

"Terry in the house!" Terrance entered the room carrying Emily over his shoulder as Emily continuously hit his back, followed by Darren and Felix.

"Why is Emily over your shoulder?" Alexis asked.

"Didn't want to come so I basically had to force her here." Terrance put her down and she made a break for it. "Get her!"

Roseanne rose from her seat and tackled Emily to the ground, holding her down. "You're going to sit through this meeting like a good little girl, alright?" She said, keeping Emily's hands pinned above her head.

"Okay, okay, get off me!"

I took an extra mile and approached them, staring down at the teary eyed Emily. "If you promise not to leave, we'll let you go."

"Chloe, Alexis, do something!" She plead, and I knelt besides her, exchanging glances with Roseanne. "They're gonna hurt me!"

Rose looked at Chloe, who seemed as if she wanted to say something. "Say something and the next thing you'll feel is my fist colliding with your jaw." She threatened, and Chloe retreated.

"We won't hurt you unless you want us to, Emily." I shrugged. "Now promise."

"Okay, I promise!" A tear fell down her cheek.

Roseanne let go and stood up, wiping her hands. I also stood up and stuck a hand out for her to shake, but she slapped it and went to sit down. I rolled my eyes, going back to the desk. Mr Dale walked in and saw me on the desk, before giving me a look. I quickly got off and went to sit in the desk facing the board directly.

"Right, afternoon guys." Mr Dale began. "I'm glad we could all be in attendance today. First things first, I've decided to name Cameron the president of this club-"

"Yes!" I threw a fist in the air.

"Cameron, if you could let me finish please?" He asked, and I nodded, muttering a sorry. "Our vice will be Roseanne-"

"WHAT?" Roseanne and I exclaimed and stood up simultaneously, staring at each other, then back at Mr Dale.

I left my place and walked up to Me Dale. "That wasn't what we discussed earlier, Mr Dale. Why her? Of all people, why her?"

Mr Dale looked at me, then motioned for Roseanne to come up. She walked slowly and stood besides me, her face clouded with confusion.

"I know what I'm doing, Cameron." He smiled, handing me over a badge and giving Roseanne a badge as well. "I know what I'm doing."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The bell rang, signalling the end of clubtime. Our first meeting went well, and I was super excited for our next one, especially since I'm picking the next topic of discussion.

"That went better than expected." I said to Terry and Alexis as we walked out the class. "I honestly thought we'd have a debate or something."

"Right, like I really did think we'd-"

The people that passed us stared, and then laughed quietly. Alexis paused, and we continued walking as a few more people did that. We walked to our lockers, and found them vandalized again- but this time on the outside.

A note was stuck onto mine specifically, and I took it down, reading it carefully;

If you really wanted to start a movement, then you should probably go back to Africa and talk to your corrupt presidents there.

"Fuck." Terrance muttered, taking the paper from me. "We have to go to the principal with this, it isn't proper."

As if on cue, Roseanne, Chloe, and Emily came with their own letters in hand. Each one gave them to me, and I read them.

It's funny how such a shy girl would believe in this stupid shit, maybe you should focus on speaking up rather than supporting dykes.
-AB

Oh, look! Another black woman trying to change the world. Silly Roseanne! Go change Africa, or bleach your skin, cause no one is ever going to hear you, especially if you're surrounding yourself with people like Cameron.
-AB

Don't get too attached to this club Chloe, it's going to turn you into a horrendous ape.
-AB

I read each of their notes carefully, and then placed them in my bag. They looked at me funny, and I gave them a nod.

"Alright, I'm going to speak to Mr Dale about this because this is outright bullying and harassment. Who does this person think they are? 'A' from pretty little liars?"

"I hope not, because they spared them. When I find out who this person is, best believe I'm bashing their head in." Roseanne threatened, looking over at Alexis. "What's on your note, Alexis? What does it say?"

Alexis lifted her head up to stare at us, and then looked down at the letter. "Associating with Cameron? Ha! Might as well ask you to be a lesbian."

We gasped, and I blinked twice. The hell?

"You know what..."

"Cameron, I want you to know something." Felix came out of nowhere with Darren. "This hasn't happened before, even when you first came out. But now, the letters keep coming when you have friends and something to do at this school, like the club? Someone's trying to stop the progression of our club, Cameron. And by the looks of it, it seems as if they're targeting you mostly."

"We see that, Felix." Emily murmured. "Question is, what do we do? Disband?"

"Fuck no!" I screeched, making Emily jump. "I've worked so hard for something like this, and it's just began, I'm not leaving this just because of a human hiding behind a bunch of letters, I'm gonna fight back, and I don't care who's gonna fight with me!"

"You don't have to care, Cameron,"Roseanne surprisingly said. "I got your back, as vice president of course."

"And we got yours." Darren spoke next.

"Why?"

"You took us in when no one else did, Cam, and we're going to take you in too."

"Really, guys?" I stared at each one of them. "I mean...it would mean a lot to me if you supported."

"Cameron, you're trying to do some good." Felix smiled, shoving me a little. "And for that, we got you."

Felix took Chloe's hand and walked away. I watched Darren and Terrance leave before Rose gave me a small smile, and left as well, leaving me with Alexis.

"Don't give up, we got this." She pat my back, and began walking. "You got this."

I nodded as a form of reassurance, and walked in the same direction she was headed.